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Request #51369 add getFileByInode() function
Submitted: 2010-03-23 18:52 UTC Modified: 2010-03-23 19:12 UTC
From: opi88 at web dot de Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: *Directory/Filesystem functions
PHP Version: Irrelevant OS: ALL
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
 [2010-03-23 18:52 UTC] opi88 at web dot de
Description:
------------
Imagine a CMS (or similar system) that links a picture to a text. When the picture is moved to a different location, the system cannot find and include the picture anymore.

There are two options for solving this issue:
(1) Update each database entry containing the picture path. Depending on where, how and how many times the picture is included, this can be very tedious.
(2) Provided there is a database (table) containing all files linked to and their paths, you have to update this db / table with the new picture path.

But why use an extra database (table) in (2) when there already is a database for files: The filesystem!? And both methods require you to execute the update manually.

With PHP, you can get a file's Inode, but you can't get a file (path) by providing an Inode. If you could, you'll might just link an Inode in your database instead of a path and you'll always have the correct picture path.

Thus, I request a getFileByInode() function, or extend the fileinode() function to be able to return a path on integer input.

Test script:
---------------
<?php
$inode = fileinode('/path/to/file.ext');
$path  = fileinode((int) $inode); // returns '/path/to/file.ext'
?>


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 [2010-03-23 19:12 UTC] johannes@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Bogus
 [2010-03-23 19:12 UTC] johannes@php.net
The inode is handled by the filesystem and we can't rely in anyway on it. It is only exposed as away to help debugging some issues. Many filesystems don't offer a reliable way to locate files by their inode.
 [2010-03-23 22:14 UTC] opi88 at web dot de
Well that's no good news. But what about the filesystems that support a "getFileByInode" – can you name some? And is there any other way to get a unique identifier of a file that doesn't change when a file is moved, and can be resolved both ways?

In case there is not: Any "best practice" suggestion?
 
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